Over 10,000 people braved yesterday's rain in Shanghai
to take part in a charity fun run for cancer research.
The Terry Fox Run, held every year in dozens of cities
worldwide in memory of a Canadian cancer victim, took runners
around Shanghai Daning Lingshi Park on an eight-kilometer or
4.8-mile course.
"I will keep going, even with my legs dragging," said
Qiao Yang, an eight-year-old Shanghai boy who was among the
runners. Qiao's mother, named Xue, said her son heard about the
event through a friend in Canada.
"He was asking me what cancer was yesterday," said
Xue. "He knows that he's doing something good."
Jin Zhaomin, deputy secretary-general of Shanghai
Charity Foundation, one of the organizers, said the run had grown
in popularity since its beginnings.
"We only had 600 participators at the first Terry Fox
Run nine years ago," he said. "Now, many students and faculties
from the 27 universities in the city have joined us this
year."
Hundreds of expatriates also joined in, including 300
signing up on the day of the race alone.
"This is my first time doing the run," said Helen
Parkin from Britain. The teacher from the Shanghai Rego
International School said she was taking part in the event
alongside nine other teachers from the school.
In 1978, Terry Fox, whose right leg was amputated due
to cancer, attempted to run across Canada to raise money for
research into the disease. His cancer subsequently spread and he
died in June 1981, mid-way through the run.
Last year in Shanghai, about 10,000 runners raised
500,000 yuan (US$62,500).
(Shanghai
Daily November 20, 2006)
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